Zen practice is primarily geared towards finding our true function in life. In other words, what is there to do, how, where and when—by me? As we broaden our awareness beyond its usual limitations, we open ourselves up to the life we share with everyone and everything. In the process, the often confusing details start to make more sense. We develop a better intuition of what is happening within and around us, and what could be the best course of action—in the short term or in the long run.
Kanzeon (or Avalokiteshvara) Bodhisattva—one of the enlightening manifestations of the Buddha—represents that ability. She is known for her compassion and has served as a great inspiration for many generations of practitioners. As recorded in the scriptures, Kanzeon went into deep meditation and reached a state of complete silence. Then she could suddenly hear the real needs of the world and respond naturally and lovingly. Her activity has been compared to that of a woman reaching behind her head to straighten out her pillow in the middle of the night—it is a very spontaneous and intimate gesture.
What happened to Kanzeon can happen to all of us, and we can learn to respond as she does. One could say that Zen practice prompts us to take more responsibility—for ourselves and others. We may start to see our whole life as a response. According to Mahayana Buddhism, we are not born accidentally or by some mysterious mistake. There is a need for our being here. This planet is not a neutral starting point for our success or failure but a place full of problems, and we are born to help out. So, we can only find true peace of mind and happiness if we follow through on that mission since it is the most natural response to the situation we landed in.